Mill Pond renewal article gets go ahead

By Susan Vaughn - February 22, 2007

The West Tisbury selectmen will ask voters at the spring town meeting to approve $75,000 to begin the work of cleaning up Mill Pond.

The selectmen agreed last week to a request from the conservation commission (ConCom) to put the article on the town meeting warrant. The previous week, the selectmen had asked the commission to draw up the warrant article.

"My board feels very strongly that any warrant articles more appropriately come from the selectmen," ConCom chairman Prudy Burt said. She explained that the warrant article should come from the selectmen since the ConCom would be the reviewing party for the project bids. "In the interest of getting things going, the selectmen should do it," she said. The selectmen agreed.

"I think we should give the town the whole package for the initial phase and include permitting," selectman chairman John Early said. "I would rather have them knowing what the costs are." He said he favored including an amount that would allow the town to proceed with the actual project.

Ms. Burt said the ConCom had received a new estimate for the design engineering costs that range from $30,000 to $51,000. That amount does not include everything, such as $1,000 for each sediment sample, of which 20 would be needed, ConCom administrator Maria McFarland said. The first two steps in restoring the pond are the feasibility study and design, she said.

Aquatic Control Technology conducted an assessment of the pond earlier this year and found it had a reduced water depth and was clogged with weeds and sediment.

The company recommended comprehensive dredging to resolve the problems at an estimated cost of $400,000 to $600,000 in the first year, with additional costs for two additional years of cleanup.

If approved at town meeting, the money would be available after July 1.